Leona "Lee" A. Waterman

September 25, 1917 - June 1, 2017

Posted
Thursday, August 31, 2017 3:23 pm

Wells River, VT- On June 1, 2017, Leona Waterman passed away at the Grafton County Nursing Home, with her son, Don, by her side.

Lee was born in Rehoboth, MA, on September 25, 1917, to Wilfred and Mary Louise (Antayer) Brousseau. She was a graduate of Taunton High School, Class of 1935. On October 22, 1938, she married Asa Waterman. Together they farmed and operated a grain dealership with Eastern States Farmer’s Exchange.

In 1961, they moved to Woodsville, NH, from Rehoboth and continued farming on the “Old Spooner Farm.” Lee and Asa “retired” from farming in 1081. In 2001, the 140-foot timber framed barn was dismantled and shipped to Martha’s Vineyard where it was resurrected and became part of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Exhibit Center.

Lee was active in her community in Rehoboth as the president of the PTA, a member of the Rehoboth Congregational Church, and the Anawan Grange. Locally, she was active as a member of the Wells River Congregational Church, UCC and served as president of the Women’s Fellowship. She was president of the Cottage Hospital Auxiliary. For a time, she was the librarian at the Woodsville Library. As a volunteer, she read to residents at the Glencliff Home and was a 4-H leader and Cub Scout leader, assisting the children with sewing projects.

Lee was an avid quilter. She enjoyed traveling to Europe with the North Country Chorus. As a life-long learner, she continued to enjoy “talking books.”

She was predeceased by her husband, Asa Waterman on October 24, 1981; an infant sister who died at birth; five brothers, Larry, Louis, Philip, Omer, and Ernie Brousseau.

She was also predeceased by a lifelong friend, Maurice Goff of Rehoboth. Maurice and Lee shared time together after the death of both of their spouses until 2007 when Maurice died. The Goff’s were an extended family who considered Lee as one of their own-taking her out to eat occasionally, spending time in New York City, sending flowers at holiday time, and attending the famous Goff Family clam bakes in Rehoboth. The Goff Family were true friends.

Ma, Lee, or Grandma Lee to the hundreds of people whose lives she touched, has left a bit of sadness in their hearts. It is through the happy memories that our tears often time turn to smiles. To paraphrase Abe Lincoln, “Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better…The memory of your dear

Mother, instead of an agony, will yet be a sad sweet feeling in your heart, of a purer and holier sort than you have known before.”

Lee’s memorial service and celebration of life was conducted by Pastor Kate Maver and held on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at the Wells River Congregational Church, UCC.

Lee’s committal service was held in Rehoboth Village Cemetery, Rehoboth, MA on Friday August 4th, 2017 and conducted by Reverend Al Holt, Pastor of the Rehoboth Congregational Church, UCC.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baldwin Memorial Library, 22 Main Street North, Wells River, VT 05081.

The obituary was written with the assistance of Lee’s two granddaughters, Dana Seeley and Leslie Waterman.